What if not winning a gold medal in the Olympics meant being cast out of society and forced into a labor camp when you returned home from London?Continue reading.
Such is the fate awaiting some North Korean athletes who fail to bring home medals. Adding insult to injury, the athletes are actually forced into training at a young age by the Communist Party’s Sports Committee.
While North Koreans are dedicating their wins to their “Dear Leader” Kim Jong-un, the fear of failure terrifyingly fuels the drive to win.
Medal winners will return home to prize money, cars, and other lavish gifts as the government demonstrates its appreciation for illuminating North Korea positively on the world stage. Gold medalist Kim Un-Guk, who set an Olympic record in 62-kilogram weightlifting this year, said he “won first place because the shining Supreme Commander Kim Jong Un gave me power and courage,” according to ABC News.
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
North Korea to Olympians: No Medals Means Labor Camp
From Ericka Andersen, at the Heritage Foundation:
Brianna Keilar Fact Checks the New "Priorities USA" Ad
Someone said yesterday that this was the most reprehensible ad of the season. See: "Ad linking Romney to death of the wife of a laid off steelworker not accurate."
And see The Other McCain, "BREAKING: Lying Democrats Lie About Lying Democrat Ad Full of Lying Lies."
And see The Other McCain, "BREAKING: Lying Democrats Lie About Lying Democrat Ad Full of Lying Lies."
Australia's Sally Pearson Wins Women's 100-Meter Hurdles
I posted on the race earlier, "American Lolo Jones Takes Fourth Place in London Olympics 100-Meter Hurdles."
But Sally Pearson deserves a post of her own. Her technique over the hurdles is perhaps the best, most naturally smooth I've ever seen. What an accomplishment.
At the New York Times, "Top Two Finishers in Beijing Trade Places":
PHOTO CREDIT: Wikimedia Commons.
But Sally Pearson deserves a post of her own. Her technique over the hurdles is perhaps the best, most naturally smooth I've ever seen. What an accomplishment.
At the New York Times, "Top Two Finishers in Beijing Trade Places":
LONDON — As Australia’s Sally Pearson sailed over hurdle after hurdle Tuesday, a crowd of 80,000 at Olympic Stadium erupted in a roar, but she said she could not hear a thing.RTWT.
It was like she was racing the 100-meter hurdles by herself, churning her legs in silence as the finish line grew near. So when she turned to see Dawn Harper of the United States next to her as they crossed the finish, it startled her.
“Wow, she’s really close,” Pearson recalled thinking. “Did she come first?”
Deep down, though, Pearson said she knew the gold medal was hers. And she was right. She saw her name pop up on the scoreboard and collapsed to the track that was moist with rain, sobbed and let the moment sink in.
“I’ve got every title now that I’ve ever wanted to win,” she said.
Pearson set an Olympic record with her time of 12.35 seconds, and Harper was right behind her in 12.37 to win the silver medal. Kellie Wells of the United States, who finished in 12.48 seconds, won the bronze. Lolo Jones, also of the United States, was fourth.
PHOTO CREDIT: Wikimedia Commons.
Chick-fil-A's Rachel Elizabeth Accepts Apology from Drive-Up Hate Guy Adam Smith
She's forgiven him.
What a classy lady all around, at London's Daily Mail, "'I feel sorry for him and his family': Chick-fil-A worker bullied by executive says she wants to meet him.
What a classy lady all around, at London's Daily Mail, "'I feel sorry for him and his family': Chick-fil-A worker bullied by executive says she wants to meet him.
'Romney Hood'
President Obama's class warfare attacks have become downright shameful. I'd be embarrassed If I were him.
See John Avlon, at the Daily Beast, "Obama’s ‘Romney Hood’ Tactic Reveals His Own Tax Problem":
And at the Wall Street Journal, "The Romney Hood Fairy Tale":
See John Avlon, at the Daily Beast, "Obama’s ‘Romney Hood’ Tactic Reveals His Own Tax Problem":
The president’s ‘Romney Hood’ strategy is clever, but his argument for raising taxes on the rich is a social-justice ‘fairness’ one rather than an economic one—which Americans may see as socialism.
And at the Wall Street Journal, "The Romney Hood Fairy Tale":
As he escalates his class war re-election campaign, President Obama has taken to calling Mitt Romney's economic plan "Robin Hood in reverse" or "Romney Hood." The charge is that even though Mr. Romney is proposing to cut tax rates for everybody across the board, Mr. Romney will finance this by imposing a tax increase on the middle class. His evidence is a single study by the Tax Policy Center, a liberal think tank that has long opposed cutting income tax rates.Continue reading.
The political left always says Daddy Warbucks gets all the tax-cut money. So this is hardly news, except that the media are treating this joint Brookings Institution and Urban Institute analysis as if it's nonpartisan gospel. In fact, it's a highly ideological tract based on false assumptions, incomplete data and dishonest analysis. In other words, it is custom made for the Obama campaign.
By the way, even the Tax Policy Center admits that "we do not score Governor Romney's plan directly as certain components of his plan are not specified in sufficient detail." But no matter, the study plows ahead to analyze features of the Romney plan that aren't even in it.
Egyptian Military Fires Missiles at Suspected Islamist Terrorists in Sinai
At the Times of Israel, "At least 20 killed as Egypt strikes back at suspected terrorists after checkpoint.
Also, at Yedioth Ahronoth, "Egypt army kills 20 terrorists in Sinai":
Also, at Yedioth Ahronoth, "Egypt army kills 20 terrorists in Sinai":
Troops, jets kill terrorists, destroy armored cars after Sinai attack that killed 16 Egyptian border guards. Earlier, armed men, security forces clashed at Sinai checkpoints.
Alexandra Raisman Wins Gold Medal in Floor Exercise
She's so sweet.
At Detroit Free Press, "Aly Raisman wins gold in floor exercise, overshadows Gabby Douglas, Jordyn Wieber":
And at the New York Times, "A Wait That Paid Off in Gold and Bronze."
At Detroit Free Press, "Aly Raisman wins gold in floor exercise, overshadows Gabby Douglas, Jordyn Wieber":
LONDON -- It was a historic Olympics for the U.S. gymnastics team and a puzzling one. Just ask Aly Raisman. On the final day of competition, Raisman, the team captain and its most consistent performer, overshadowed Gabby Douglas, the star, and Jordyn Wieber, the star-crossed.More at that top link.
For Raisman, who will leave with three medals, the most of any U.S. gymnast, these Games were a jumble of emotions.
There was joy: Raisman became the first U.S. woman to win a gold in floor exercise after she performed what she called the best routine of her life Tuesday, to the music of "Hava Nagila."
"To have it be at the Olympic Games, in the finals, is just really amazing and just a dream come true," she said. "That's what you work for your whole life." This, after the U.S. won the team gold for the first time since 1996.
And at the New York Times, "A Wait That Paid Off in Gold and Bronze."
Aliya Mustafina!
Robert Stacy McCain has been all over the U.S. water polo reporting, for example, "USA! USA! USA!", and "Go for the Gold, Melissa Seidemann!" Or, well, he's been all over Melissa Seidemann, I should say.
But I tweeted him the other day:
I know she's Russian, but Aliya Mustafina is a fascinating athlete, especially her facial expressions. Matt Stopera at BuzzFeed picks up on that, big time, "The Ultimate Aliya Mustafina Tribute."
See also the New York Times, "Russia's Mustafina Wins Gold in Uneven Bars" (and check the photo here as well).
But I tweeted him the other day:
.@rsmccain, I know you're digging water polo, but I'll tell ya, Russia's Aliya Mustafina was sweet on uneven bars.#Olympics
— Donald Douglas (@AmPowerBlog) August 7, 2012
I know she's Russian, but Aliya Mustafina is a fascinating athlete, especially her facial expressions. Matt Stopera at BuzzFeed picks up on that, big time, "The Ultimate Aliya Mustafina Tribute."
See also the New York Times, "Russia's Mustafina Wins Gold in Uneven Bars" (and check the photo here as well).
Marvin Hamlisch, 1944-2012
The man wrote some extraordinary music.
At the Los Angeles Times, "Marvin Hamlisch dies at 68: Sudden, brief illness halted busy life":
At the Los Angeles Times, "Marvin Hamlisch dies at 68: Sudden, brief illness halted busy life":
Marvin Hamlisch, the stage and film composer who created the memorable songs for "A Chorus Line," has died at 68. The composer died on Monday in Los Angeles after collapsing from a brief illness, his family said in a statement.
One of the most decorated composers in entertainment, Hamlisch had won a Tony Award, three Academy Awards, four Emmy Awards and the Pulitzer Prize for drama.
Hamlisch was still active just weeks ago. In his role as lead conductor of the Pasadena Pops, he conducted a July 21 concert at the Los Angeles Arboretum with Michael Feinstein....
In Hollywood, Hamlisch wrote music for the movies "The Way We Were," "The Spy Who Loved Me" and "Sophie's Choice." In recent years, he teamed with director Steven Soderbergh on "The Informant!" and the upcoming "Behind the Candelabra," a biopic of Liberace.
American Lolo Jones Takes Fourth Place in London Olympics 100-Meter Hurdles
She wasn't the best athlete, not even close.
That photo is from Doha in 2010, via Wikimedia Commons.
And here's Bill Plaschke, at the Los Angeles Times, "Heat was on Lolo Jones, and she got burned":
Jones' race in Beijing 2008 is here. She would've had the gold, but repeats don't come easy, as events showed.
And all that publicity didn't come easy, either. The New York Times ripped Jones in a feature story the other day, "For Lolo Jones, Everything Is Image."
RELATED: At the Washington Post, "Sally Pearson wins Olympic gold to boost Australia's ailing Olympic campaign; Jones misses out."
That photo is from Doha in 2010, via Wikimedia Commons.
And here's Bill Plaschke, at the Los Angeles Times, "Heat was on Lolo Jones, and she got burned":
LONDON — In the end, the most hyped Olympian was also the most alone.Continue reading.
Lolo Jones finished the 100-meter hurdles in a desperate lunge, stood by the finish line staring up at an Olympic Stadium scoreboard that registered a fourth-place finish and then slowly walked away.
She didn't stick around to congratulate the two medal-winning Americans, both of whom had questioned her enormous pre-race publicity. She didn't hang out to schmooze with fans who have increasingly questioned her sincerity. The cloudy and cool London skies broke into a steady drizzle as she walked into a tunnel and fought back tears.
"I guess all the people who were talking about me, they can have their night and laugh about me," she said.
It's a nasty business, this Olympic star-making machine. These athletes have one chance every four years to rake in the real gold, the endorsement and appearance money that helps compensate them for years of training. Most agree they would be fools to turn down that chance to capitalize on their success and enhance the quality of their often budget-strained lives.
Yet when Olympic athletes seek and embrace this publicity, they are criticized unless they have the medals to back it up. We chuckle at a guy like Terrell Owens working the system even though he has never won a Super Bowl, but heaven forbid an Olympian does the same thing, and shame on that Olympian if she is a woman.
In the middle of this double standard is where Lolo Jones found herself awkwardly standing Tuesday after, once again, her performance did not back up her buzz.
"I'm really disappointed in myself, and I felt like I let a lot of people down," she said, fighting back tears. "I just feel like a big disappointment."
The way she was viewed by many, anything less than a gold medal followed by a marriage proposal from Tim Tebow followed by a pole dance would have been a disappointment.
Jones entered these Olympics as a Time magazine cover girl, a partially nude ESPN model and Jay Leno's guest. She was an empathetic figure after losing a gold medal in 2008 in Bejing when she hit the penultimate hurdle in the final. She was an embraceable figure after sharing a background that include living in a Des Moines Salvation Army church basement. And, of course, to many she was a sexy figure with her good looks and openness that included talking about her virginity at age 30.
Put it another way: This was the only Olympian who went on national television and wondered about asking Tebow for a date...
Jones' race in Beijing 2008 is here. She would've had the gold, but repeats don't come easy, as events showed.
And all that publicity didn't come easy, either. The New York Times ripped Jones in a feature story the other day, "For Lolo Jones, Everything Is Image."
RELATED: At the Washington Post, "Sally Pearson wins Olympic gold to boost Australia's ailing Olympic campaign; Jones misses out."
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Wade Michael Page Was Neo-Nazi White Supremacist, Not Conservative
Following up from my earlier entries, "London's Daily Mail Features Wade Michael Page Pictured Before Huge Nazi Banner in Write-Up on Oak Creek Massacre," and "The Oak Creek Massacre and Political Ideologies."
I want to reiterate the point that the slain suspect Michael Wade Page was not a conservative, he was a Nazi. I think the problem people have is whether or not fascist or Nazi ideologies can be placed at the far-right of the political continuum. I mentioned Bob Belvedere's post, for example, "Sikh Shooting: Don’t Buy The Leftist Lies." And linked there is William Jacobson, who writes:
It's way too simplistic, of course. [This chart below is at Wikipedia's "political spectrum" page.] This chart below is at The Liberty Papers. This is just one example of how ideology is complicated by situating ideological adherents according to their relationship to political freedom. There are different examples we could use, although for simplification this graphic may serve for basic discussion, even though the placement of Adolf Hitler is too far to the left (since government did not own the means of production in Nazi Germany). The best chart I've used is found in Patrick O'Neil's, Essentials of Comparative Politics, which uses this basic graphic but plugs in ideological labels, such as "socialist" and "fascist" into the template. [This section is updated with the strike through indicating the revision.]
Another complicating factor in analysis is an ideology's orientation toward race and racial identity. Both Marxian socialism and Nazi millenarianism emphasize cleansing aspects to the social order. Marx was Jewish but despised religion as the "opiate of the people," and he has often been cited as one of the founders of Europe's historical anti-Semitism. But Italy's fascists, while originating in leftist socialist-labor circles, later specifically identified Marxian socialists as the political enemy. As the Interwar Period wore on, Mussolini's brand of fascism became increasingly identified with Hitler's Germany. The key difference, however, was that the Nazis' fundamental orientation was toward preserving the purity of the Medieval German "volk," which was idealized as the perfect "Aryan" race, and thus the establishment of the Nazi Third Reich would restore a master race of pure-bred Germans to the center of Europe.
The Soviet Union, however, especially it its pre-Stalinist development, was in principle committed to ethnic assimilation under the banner of Marxist-Leninist ideology. Political scientist Gail Lapidus discussed this in a 1989 ariticle in Foreign Affairs, "Gorbachev's Nationalities Problem":
The point here is that the recognized far-left and far-right ideological formations of the early 20th century created radically opposed orientations toward race and ethnicity (but not toward the concentration of political power). The Nazis called for the extermination of the Jews, as well as gypsies (mainly Eastern Europeans) and the disabled. The Soviets, in the Leninist compromise, sought a multi-national compromise for lack of any realistic alternative, since more than 100 ethnic groups formed the multi-national state of the early Soviet Union. That's not to say there wasn't ethnic cleansing or genocidal eliminations (just ask the Ukraines, for example). But it does point to an extremely complicated set of world historical circumstances that create huge obstacles for the easy ideological pigeonholes partisan attempt to exploit today.
Here's one more example. Recall I mentioned Robert Paxton's book earlier, The Anatomy of Fascism. While lots of conservatives today like to place fascism on the left of the spectrum, and not without good reason, it's worth noting (see Liberal Fascism), fascist ideology often does merge toward racial exclusionism. Early fascists focused on romanticism and the elevation of a populist "chosen people" who would fulfill the destiny or mission of a self-identified group of people. Hitler's Mein Kampf, published in 1923, rested on explicit master race theories, and these were accepted in Italy as well, in Aldo Bertele's, Aspetti ideologici del fascismo in 1930. As Paxton writes of the emergence of fascism in the 1920s, at his introduction:
So let's be clear: Wade Michael Page was a Nazi. He espoused racialist theories and white supremacy. He was thus not at all within the mainstream of conservative thinking today, no matter what the MSM hacks will try to tell you. Still, it remains inaccurate to attempt a simplistic left-right placement, and it's simplistic to argue that only the left is totalitarian. Here's the key: With the exception of some on the left, no one in American politics today openly espouses Alolph Hitler's racial exterminism (Hitlerism, in Jonah Goldberg's formulation, which left-wing anti-Semites approximate). Moreover, while conservatives naturally repudiate hard-right racialist theories, many on the left today openly venerate Stalinist ideology. The ANSWER Coalition --- which has been perhaps the leading hard-left protest organization for the last decade --- traces its background to the Stalinist World Workers Party. Folks like this are widely embraced by progressives, at my college, for example, and during the left's "One Nation" protest in D.C. in 2010. There's is nothing remotely equivalent among conservatives, or in William Jacobson's words, "on the political right" today. To the one, when extremists or racists showed their faces at the tea parties they were repudiated and ejected from the events. What we call the conservative movement today repudiates the "far-right" that hacks like Jonathan Capehart exploit for political gain. Not so on the America's contemporary "far-left."
So there you go. There might be a couple of conservatives who might favor a bit more clearly defined categories (putting fascists entirely on the left, for example), but it's not like that. Despite complications, though, there's still plenty of difference between the main antagonists in American politics today to make a left vs. right framework useful, as I mentioned above. That left-right ideological continuum is the established frame to discuss the programs of the major political actors. Historians and political scientists have deployed that framework for over a hundred years. There's nothing wrong with keeping it, as long as people are clear about the practical differences of today's major political formations. The left today, what we would call the progressives and the Obama-Democrats, are authoritarian in orientation, with combined attributes of hard-line socialist dogma and fascistic strains in the social realm. Wade Michael Page doesn't fit easily on that side of spectrum, but Jared Loughner does. And even Anders Behring Breivik fits better on the left of the spectrum than the right, despite the the left's "blame-righty' attacks after the Norway shooting. Indeed, one of Breivik's heroes is hard-left progressive Charles Johnson of Little Green Footballs.
RELATED:
* At London's Daily Mail, "Revealed: Sikh temple gunman was being monitored by feds before massacre - as 911 call from shooting is released."
* At Fox News, "Sikh Temple Shooter Michael Wade Urged Fellow White Supremacist to get Involved."
* At the Guardian UK, "Wade Michael Page's acquaintances recall a troubled man guided by hate."
* At the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinal (via NBC 26 Wisconsin), "Shooter's Odd Behavior Did Not Go Unnoticed." And, "Through band, Page says he wanted get results 'in our sick society'."
* At New York Magazine, "Wade Michael Page’s White Supremacy Was No Secret Prior to Sikh Temple Shooting."
BONUS: The white power Label|56 dropped ties to Page. The press release is here. And there's a Stormfront thread here. The group's not please with a report out last night titled, "US racists worried over Sikh killings."
I want to reiterate the point that the slain suspect Michael Wade Page was not a conservative, he was a Nazi. I think the problem people have is whether or not fascist or Nazi ideologies can be placed at the far-right of the political continuum. I mentioned Bob Belvedere's post, for example, "Sikh Shooting: Don’t Buy The Leftist Lies." And linked there is William Jacobson, who writes:
Needless to say, the MSM and left-blogosphere have concluded the shooter was a white supremacist/neo-Nazi based on tattoos and being a former member of what they describe as a “skinhead” band — which they then obscenely generalize to be “right-wing,” a way of trying to link him to the political right. This is the age-old tactic. If Page was a white supremacist/neo-Nazi/skinhead, then he stood against everything the political right stands for.That's not a problem, per se, to locate Page on the "far-right." Conservatives routinely use the term "far-left" in referring to hardcore progressive radicals and neo-communists. The left-right ideological spectrum has been used that way for over 200 years, since the French National Assembly --- after the toppling of the Ancien Régime --- arrayed political factions from the radicals (on the left) to the reactionaries (on the right). While folks can question that seating arrangement as arbitrary and historically isolated (time-bound), nevertheless since then talk of modern political ideology has employed that left-right axis.
It's way too simplistic, of course. [
Another complicating factor in analysis is an ideology's orientation toward race and racial identity. Both Marxian socialism and Nazi millenarianism emphasize cleansing aspects to the social order. Marx was Jewish but despised religion as the "opiate of the people," and he has often been cited as one of the founders of Europe's historical anti-Semitism. But Italy's fascists, while originating in leftist socialist-labor circles, later specifically identified Marxian socialists as the political enemy. As the Interwar Period wore on, Mussolini's brand of fascism became increasingly identified with Hitler's Germany. The key difference, however, was that the Nazis' fundamental orientation was toward preserving the purity of the Medieval German "volk," which was idealized as the perfect "Aryan" race, and thus the establishment of the Nazi Third Reich would restore a master race of pure-bred Germans to the center of Europe.
The Soviet Union, however, especially it its pre-Stalinist development, was in principle committed to ethnic assimilation under the banner of Marxist-Leninist ideology. Political scientist Gail Lapidus discussed this in a 1989 ariticle in Foreign Affairs, "Gorbachev's Nationalities Problem":
The "Leninist compromise" created a federal system that granted political-administrative recognition and the symbols of nationhood to a number of national groups (whose historical homelands now became nominally sovereign republics within the U.S.S.R.) and committed itself to the development of their national languages and cultures. At the same time, it was built around a highly centralized and increasingly authoritarian party organization imbued with a radically internationalist ideology.Notice the stress at the last paragraph on the priority of Russian dominance as the key to Soviet nationalities policy. But that's more a political development more than an ideological one. The Soviets, for example, sought to assimilate Jews not as a religious group but as a national one. The Soviets even tried, unsuccessfully, to establish a Jewish national homeland within the Soviet Union, called the Jewish Autonomous Province (Oblast). In Russia today the entity is known as the Jewish Autonomous Region.
A fundamental tension was thus built into the Soviet system from its very origins: the federal structure offered an organizational framework and political legitimacy for the protection and advancement of the interests of national groups, but at the same time Soviet ideology anticipated the ultimate dissolution of national attachments and loyalties and sought the creation of an integrated political and economic community based on universal Soviet citizenship. What balance to strike between these two orientations has remained an enduring dilemma in Soviet politics.
The Stalin era was marked by a dramatic shift toward greater centralization, cultural Russification and the repression of non-Russian national elites. The rights of republics and autonomous regions were whittled away, their boundaries arbitrarily redrawn, and the populations of some liquidated or forcibly resettled during World War II, as in the cases of Crimean Tatars, Kalmyks, Chechen-Ingush, Volga Germans and Meskhetian Georgians. National histories were rewritten to emphasize the progressive character of Russian imperialism, and criticism of Great Russian chauvinism came to an end. Central economic ministries treated the entire territory of the U.S.S.R. as a single complex, establishing new industries and relocating workers without concern for republic boundaries. The cultivation of national languages and cultures was replaced by a process of Sovietization that was sometimes indistinguishable from Russification. The imperial features of the Soviet system were further strengthened during World War II with the forcible annexation of the Baltic states, the western Ukraine and Byelorussia, and part of Moldavia.
The point here is that the recognized far-left and far-right ideological formations of the early 20th century created radically opposed orientations toward race and ethnicity (but not toward the concentration of political power). The Nazis called for the extermination of the Jews, as well as gypsies (mainly Eastern Europeans) and the disabled. The Soviets, in the Leninist compromise, sought a multi-national compromise for lack of any realistic alternative, since more than 100 ethnic groups formed the multi-national state of the early Soviet Union. That's not to say there wasn't ethnic cleansing or genocidal eliminations (just ask the Ukraines, for example). But it does point to an extremely complicated set of world historical circumstances that create huge obstacles for the easy ideological pigeonholes partisan attempt to exploit today.
Here's one more example. Recall I mentioned Robert Paxton's book earlier, The Anatomy of Fascism. While lots of conservatives today like to place fascism on the left of the spectrum, and not without good reason, it's worth noting (see Liberal Fascism), fascist ideology often does merge toward racial exclusionism. Early fascists focused on romanticism and the elevation of a populist "chosen people" who would fulfill the destiny or mission of a self-identified group of people. Hitler's Mein Kampf, published in 1923, rested on explicit master race theories, and these were accepted in Italy as well, in Aldo Bertele's, Aspetti ideologici del fascismo in 1930. As Paxton writes of the emergence of fascism in the 1920s, at his introduction:
Fascism ... was a new invention created afresh for the era of mass politics. It sought to appeal mainly to the emotions by the use of ritual, carefully stage-managed ceremonies, and intensely charged rhetoric. The role programs and doctrine play in it is, on closer inspection, fundamentally unlike the role they play in conservatism, liberalism, and socialism. Fascism does not rest explicitly upon an elaborated philosophicalsystem, but rather upon popular feelings about master races, their unjust lot, and their rightful predominance over inferior peoples. It has not beengiven intellectual underpinnings by any system builder, like Marx, or by any major critical intelligence, like Mill, Burke, or Tocqueville.The emphasis on collective salvation is key to fascism, as it's an ideology that fetishizes the state. And in that sense, in contemporary American politics, it's the hard-left that venerates the state over the individual. The left romanticizes state power, and the natural tendency of that ideology is to suppress deviations from the approved collective program. We see it time and again, in the neo-statist programs of the Obama administration and in the social policy fascism of the left's homosexual rights agenda. You can't step out of line. Further, that strain on the left departs radically from the constitutional liberalism (libertarianism) of the tea party.
In a way utterly unlike the classical “isms," the rightness of fascism does not depend on the truth of any of the propositions advanced in its name.Fascism is “true" insofar as it helps fulfill the destiny of a chosen race or people or blood, locked with other peoples in a Darwinian struggle, and notin the light of some abstract and universal reason. The first fascists were entirely frank about this.
We [Fascists] don’t think ideology is a problem that is resolved in such a way that truth is seated on a throne. But, in that case, does fighting for an ideology mean fighting for mere appearances? No doubt, unless one considers it according to its unique and efficacious psychological-historical value. The truth of an ideology lies in its capacity to set in motion our capacity for ideals and action. Its truth is absolute insofar as,living within us, it suffices to exhaust those capacities [A. Bertele].The truth was whatever permitted the new fascist man (and woman) to dominate others, and whatever made the chosen people triumph.Fascism rested not upon the truth of its doctrine but upon the leader’s mystical union with the historic destiny of his people, a notion related toromanticist ideas of national historic flowering and of individual artistic or spiritual genius, though fascism otherwise denied romanticism’sexaltation of unfettered personal creativity.
The fascist leader wanted to bring his people into a higher realm of politics that they would experiencesensually: the warmth of belonging to a race now fully aware of its identity, historic destiny, and power; the excitement of participating in a vast collective enterprise; the gratification of submerging oneself in a wave of shared feelings, and of sacrificing one’s petty concerns for the group’s good; and the thrill of domination. Fascism’s deliberate replacement of reasoned debate with immediate sensual experience transformed politics as the exiled German cultural critic Walter Benjamin was the first to point out, into aesthetics. And the ultimate fascist aesthetic experience,Benjamin warned in 1936, was war.
So let's be clear: Wade Michael Page was a Nazi. He espoused racialist theories and white supremacy. He was thus not at all within the mainstream of conservative thinking today, no matter what the MSM hacks will try to tell you. Still, it remains inaccurate to attempt a simplistic left-right placement, and it's simplistic to argue that only the left is totalitarian. Here's the key: With the exception of some on the left, no one in American politics today openly espouses Alolph Hitler's racial exterminism (Hitlerism, in Jonah Goldberg's formulation, which left-wing anti-Semites approximate). Moreover, while conservatives naturally repudiate hard-right racialist theories, many on the left today openly venerate Stalinist ideology. The ANSWER Coalition --- which has been perhaps the leading hard-left protest organization for the last decade --- traces its background to the Stalinist World Workers Party. Folks like this are widely embraced by progressives, at my college, for example, and during the left's "One Nation" protest in D.C. in 2010. There's is nothing remotely equivalent among conservatives, or in William Jacobson's words, "on the political right" today. To the one, when extremists or racists showed their faces at the tea parties they were repudiated and ejected from the events. What we call the conservative movement today repudiates the "far-right" that hacks like Jonathan Capehart exploit for political gain. Not so on the America's contemporary "far-left."
So there you go. There might be a couple of conservatives who might favor a bit more clearly defined categories (putting fascists entirely on the left, for example), but it's not like that. Despite complications, though, there's still plenty of difference between the main antagonists in American politics today to make a left vs. right framework useful, as I mentioned above. That left-right ideological continuum is the established frame to discuss the programs of the major political actors. Historians and political scientists have deployed that framework for over a hundred years. There's nothing wrong with keeping it, as long as people are clear about the practical differences of today's major political formations. The left today, what we would call the progressives and the Obama-Democrats, are authoritarian in orientation, with combined attributes of hard-line socialist dogma and fascistic strains in the social realm. Wade Michael Page doesn't fit easily on that side of spectrum, but Jared Loughner does. And even Anders Behring Breivik fits better on the left of the spectrum than the right, despite the the left's "blame-righty' attacks after the Norway shooting. Indeed, one of Breivik's heroes is hard-left progressive Charles Johnson of Little Green Footballs.
RELATED:
* At London's Daily Mail, "Revealed: Sikh temple gunman was being monitored by feds before massacre - as 911 call from shooting is released."
* At Fox News, "Sikh Temple Shooter Michael Wade Urged Fellow White Supremacist to get Involved."
* At the Guardian UK, "Wade Michael Page's acquaintances recall a troubled man guided by hate."
* At the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinal (via NBC 26 Wisconsin), "Shooter's Odd Behavior Did Not Go Unnoticed." And, "Through band, Page says he wanted get results 'in our sick society'."
* At New York Magazine, "Wade Michael Page’s White Supremacy Was No Secret Prior to Sikh Temple Shooting."
BONUS: The white power Label|56 dropped ties to Page. The press release is here. And there's a Stormfront thread here. The group's not please with a report out last night titled, "US racists worried over Sikh killings."
Mitt Romney Slams Obama for 'Gutting' Welfare Reform
At the Wall Street Journal, "Romney Attacks Obama on Welfare Mandates."
Also from Jim Geraghty, at National Review, "New Romney Ad Hits Obama on Welfare Work Requirements." (Via Memeorandum.)
Also from Jim Geraghty, at National Review, "New Romney Ad Hits Obama on Welfare Work Requirements." (Via Memeorandum.)
'Sundries Shack' Goes Down After Getting Instalanched
Here's the 'lanche:
And amazingly, Wizbang crossed-posted Jimmie's entry from a cached version, "Will Wheaton, The Geek Who Hates." Nice blogging, Jimmie!
I'm more lazy than cheap (or else I would have migrated by now), although Blogger doesn't crash often, so that's one thing good about staying with it. I was going to break loose when Althouse threatened to quit, but I think it was going to be too much for her to host all her comments and so forth, so she stayed on Blogger after all --- and that was after she had the Google techies excavate all of her comments and posts from the various servers hosting them. It was getting pretty involved.
In related news, Mike at Cold Fury was down for a week or so because he couldn't pay hosting fees, and then there was this epic post from John Hawkins at Right Wing News, "8 Reasons I Hate Rackspace With The Fiery Passion of a Thousand Suns."
Despite all of that, I'm going to "go pro" one of these days. I like William Jacobson's blog, Legal Insurrection, as a model of what a really cool switch-over would be like. But until then, I'm glad I'm not dealing with all those hosting headaches. There's tradeoffs, that's for sure, and since I went to the Disqus commenting system things have improved a lot. I was finally able to be rid of that vile Internet troll and criminal harasser Repsac3. And that reminds me, ICYMI: "Walter James Casper III, Hate-Blogger and Internet Stalker, Harasses Gay-Politics Activist Evan Hurst on Twitter."
WIL WHEATON, The Geek Who Hates? Just ask Sheldon Cooper.Jimmie has a few tweets explaining things.
UPDATE: WTF? The Sundries Shack is now showing “account suspended.”
And amazingly, Wizbang crossed-posted Jimmie's entry from a cached version, "Will Wheaton, The Geek Who Hates." Nice blogging, Jimmie!
I'm more lazy than cheap (or else I would have migrated by now), although Blogger doesn't crash often, so that's one thing good about staying with it. I was going to break loose when Althouse threatened to quit, but I think it was going to be too much for her to host all her comments and so forth, so she stayed on Blogger after all --- and that was after she had the Google techies excavate all of her comments and posts from the various servers hosting them. It was getting pretty involved.
In related news, Mike at Cold Fury was down for a week or so because he couldn't pay hosting fees, and then there was this epic post from John Hawkins at Right Wing News, "8 Reasons I Hate Rackspace With The Fiery Passion of a Thousand Suns."
Despite all of that, I'm going to "go pro" one of these days. I like William Jacobson's blog, Legal Insurrection, as a model of what a really cool switch-over would be like. But until then, I'm glad I'm not dealing with all those hosting headaches. There's tradeoffs, that's for sure, and since I went to the Disqus commenting system things have improved a lot. I was finally able to be rid of that vile Internet troll and criminal harasser Repsac3. And that reminds me, ICYMI: "Walter James Casper III, Hate-Blogger and Internet Stalker, Harasses Gay-Politics Activist Evan Hurst on Twitter."
The Oak Creek Massacre and Political Ideologies
Bob Belvedere has an interesting post, "Sikh Shooting: Don’t Buy The Leftist Lies."
Read it all at the link. I wouldn't go quite that far to say that fascism is entirely a left-wing phenomenon, and it's not true that totalitarianism is entirely found on the left of the spectrum. It would require a book-length exegesis to square the point, although Bob's right to push back against the mainstream progressive meme that the "neo-Nazis" are associated with conservative politics. They aren't. (Speaking of books, Robert Paxton's got one of the best volumes on this, The Anatomy of Fascism.)
That said, Jonathan Capehart needs a smack over the head, the idiot. At WaPo, "Sikh temple shooting: A ‘lone wolf’ in Wisconsin":
FLASHBACK: From Michelle, "Confirmed: The Obama DHS hit job on conservatives is real":
Read it all at the link. I wouldn't go quite that far to say that fascism is entirely a left-wing phenomenon, and it's not true that totalitarianism is entirely found on the left of the spectrum. It would require a book-length exegesis to square the point, although Bob's right to push back against the mainstream progressive meme that the "neo-Nazis" are associated with conservative politics. They aren't. (Speaking of books, Robert Paxton's got one of the best volumes on this, The Anatomy of Fascism.)
That said, Jonathan Capehart needs a smack over the head, the idiot. At WaPo, "Sikh temple shooting: A ‘lone wolf’ in Wisconsin":
The Department of Homeland Security warned us about the likes of Wade Michael Page, the alleged gunman who killed six people at a Sikh temple in Oak Creek, Wisc.WaPo even embeds the report at that piece. And that trash report was widely condemned at the time, as bad research and abject political trash. Notice how it's sure coming in handy now.
In an April 2009 report , entitled, “Rightwing Extremism: Current Economic and Political Climate Fueling Resurgence in Radicalization and Recruitment,” DHS warned that “lone wolves . . . embracing violent right-wing extremist ideology are the most dangerous domestic terrorism threat in the United States.” It went on to say that “white supremacist lone wolves pose the most significant domestic terrorist threat because of their low profile and autonomy — separate from any formalized group — which hampers warning efforts.” And it noted that military expertise and knowledge made lone wolves especially dangerous.
FLASHBACK: From Michelle, "Confirmed: The Obama DHS hit job on conservatives is real":
I have covered DHS for many years and am quite familiar with past assessments they and the FBI have done on animal rights terrorists and environmental terrorists. But those past reports have always been very specific in identifying the exact groups, causes, and targets of domestic terrorism, i.e., the ALF, ELF, and Stop Huntingdon wackos who have engaged in physical harassment, arson, vandalism, and worse against pharmaceutical companies, farms, labs, and university researchers.The issue isn't so much that there's are far-right reactionary ideologies. It's the double standard that progressives employ to destroy the American right by falsely equating libertarian-conservatives with the 20th century racist ideologies of pre-WWII Europe.
By contrast, the piece of crap report issued on April 7 is a sweeping indictment of conservatives. And the intent is clear. As the two spokespeople I talked with on the phone today made clear: They both pinpointed the recent “economic downturn” and the “general state of the economy” for stoking “rightwing extremism.” One of the spokespeople said he was told that the report has been in the works for a year. My b.s. detector went off the chart, and yours will, too, if you read through the entire report — which asserts with no evidence that an unquantified “resurgence in rightwing extremist recruitment and radicalizations activity” is due to home foreclosures, job losses, and…the historical presidential election.
In Obama land, there are no coincidences. It is no coincidence that this report echoes Tea Party-bashing left-wing blogs (check this one out comparing the Tea Party movement to the Weather Underground!) and demonizes the very Americans who will be protesting in the thousands on Wednesday for the nationwide Tax Day Tea Party.
From Psychologists Yoel Inbar and Joris Lammers, New Researh Identifies Left-Wing Professors as Discriminatory Against Conservatives
I voted for Al Gore in 2000, the year I landed at LBCC, but ideological commitments were the farthest thing from my mind. Boy, that was eons ago. A babe in the woods.
Here's this, from Wintery Knight, "New study: university professors admit they would discriminate against conservatives."
Here's this, from Wintery Knight, "New study: university professors admit they would discriminate against conservatives."
London's Daily Mail Features Wade Michael Page Pictured Before Huge Nazi Banner in Write-Up on Oak Creek Massacre
I'm planning more on the ideological aspects of the Wisconsin massacre, but I'll caution folks about arguing how the shooter was a "leftist" when he's seen pictured before king-sized Nazi posters like this.
See: "The 'precious little boy' who grew up to be a neo-Nazi mass murderer: Devastated mother of Sikh temple killer apologizes to son's victims."
See: "The 'precious little boy' who grew up to be a neo-Nazi mass murderer: Devastated mother of Sikh temple killer apologizes to son's victims."
New Kim Kardashian Bikini Pics!
At London's Daily Mail, "So, is this the result of Kim Kardashian's new 'sex diet'? Kanye's girl shows off her beach-ready curves in a strappy bikini":
She's always been one to jump on the latest diet bandwagon, whether its working up a sweat at bootcamp or promoting a slimming shake.Great pictures at the link. My wife even likes 'em!
But Kim Kardashian's latest get in shape plan is an invention all of her own - the 'sex diet'.
As the reality star showed off her beach ready curves in Miami it emerged that she had honed them with the help of boyfriend Kanye West.
'The Riffed'
A film production out of Modesto Junior College, "The Crisis Begins":
The documentary "explores the circumstances around Gaither Lowenstein's resignation from the office of President of MJC, shortly after coming up with what some considered a personal agenda hit list in an effort to turn the public funded community college into something more resembling a private university."
Loewenstein's now at my college: "Dr. Gaither Loewenstein Appointed New Vice President of Academic Affairs at Long Beach City College."
The documentary "explores the circumstances around Gaither Lowenstein's resignation from the office of President of MJC, shortly after coming up with what some considered a personal agenda hit list in an effort to turn the public funded community college into something more resembling a private university."
Loewenstein's now at my college: "Dr. Gaither Loewenstein Appointed New Vice President of Academic Affairs at Long Beach City College."
President Obama No Bill Clinton on Economic, Budget Policies
At IBD, "Obama, You're No Bill Clinton On Economic Policies":
When the Democratic Party announced that Bill Clinton would deliver a prime-time speech at its convention in early Septem ber, convention head Antonio Villaraigosa left no doubt as to why.Continue reading.
"President Clinton oversaw the longest economic expansion in U.S. history," he said, "pursuing many of the same policies that President Obama is proposing and implementing today."
That's a message Obama has been delivering himself — repeatedly — at campaign stops as he tries to make an argument for a second term amid a historically sluggish economic recovery.
"Just like their theories have been tested and didn't work," he said, "my theories have been tested. The last time they were tried was by a guy named Bill Clinton. And we created 23 million new jobs, went from deficits to surplus."
But a review of the record shows that Obama's policies — enacted or proposed — bear little resemblance to those adopted by Clinton during his eight years.
Here's a rundown...
Monday, August 6, 2012
Smokin' Model Megan Rossee is Michael Phelps' Secret Girlfriend
This is the banner headline at London's Daily Mail, "The aspiring model who struck gold: Michael Phelps has been dating blonde for six months (and she's not shy in telling everyone!)."
Even ABC News is trying to score some traffic off the scoop, "Michael Phelps Reportedly Dating Megan Rossee."
More photos at The Heavy, "Michael Phelps’ Girlfriend Megan Rossee: His Favorite Stroke."
Even ABC News is trying to score some traffic off the scoop, "Michael Phelps Reportedly Dating Megan Rossee."
More photos at The Heavy, "Michael Phelps’ Girlfriend Megan Rossee: His Favorite Stroke."
Walter James Casper III, Hate-Blogger and Internet Stalker, Harasses Gay-Politics Activist Evan Hurst on Twitter
This is why hate-blogger Walter James Casper III, a.k.a. Repsac3, is blocked from my blog --- and this is why the evil "Hatesac" has been exposed, repudiated, and blocked all over the right wing blogosphere. When Zilla put up a huge "roll call" of conservatives supporting me against workplace intimidation, Hatesac3 infiltrated her comments and was promptly banned. As I wrote at the time: "RACIST = REPSAC's a nut case. A raving hatemonger and lunatic."
So now it turns out that Hatesac3 is an equal-opportunity predator. There's this guy, Evan Hurst, who is the Director of Social Media at Truth Wins Out, an extreme far-left blog pushing homosexual rights. He seems like a reasonable guy. But right on cue, Hatesac3 launched a Twitter campaign stalking him after looking to leach a copy of an article Hurst posted on Chick-fil-A:
The entry at Truth Wins Out has been taken down, as perhaps not defending the left's hateful fascist attacks on Chick-fil-A. But Hatesac3 wants it anyways, to fuel his deranged Internet predations, no doubt. After Hurst basically blew off Hatesac3 as a nuisance, our infamous progressive stalker started berating the dude:
Mr. Hurst has not dropped out of sight, as indicated by his Twitter feed. So perhaps he's just trying to be polite in the hopes that deranged obsessive Hatesac3 will just let it got. Mr. Hurst explained that he'd just been swamped, and as it's a fresh week, maybe he'll still forward that piece to the despicable Hatesac3. Seriously, after that much harassment, I'd just send it to the f-king criminal Hatesac3 just to get him off my back. Either that, or I'd notify the authorities. Look at that deranged Internet harassment. For crying out loud, Hatesac3, get a life motherf-ker!
See: "Intent to Annoy and the Fascist Hate-Blogging Campaign of Walter James Casper III."
Previously: "Repsac3, Hate-Addled Internet Predator, Screams 'Liar' at Virtually Entire World on Politicization of Colorado Shooting." Plus, "When Even Sick Left-Wing Sites Like 'Wonkette' Want Brian Ross Fired, Despicable Hate-Blogger Repsac3 Attacks Michelle Malkin as 'Whiney Wingnut Victim'."
Extra: "Repsac3, Apologist for Homosexual Criminals, Remorselessly Defends Left's Hateful Intimidation and Vandalism on 'National Kiss-In Day'."
Case File: Check the special search for "Repsac3 OR Walter James Capser III" at Google.
So now it turns out that Hatesac3 is an equal-opportunity predator. There's this guy, Evan Hurst, who is the Director of Social Media at Truth Wins Out, an extreme far-left blog pushing homosexual rights. He seems like a reasonable guy. But right on cue, Hatesac3 launched a Twitter campaign stalking him after looking to leach a copy of an article Hurst posted on Chick-fil-A:
As good as it feels to have politicians telling Chick-Fil-A to get lost, it's actually not okay bit.ly/MMeAUo#p2#lgbt
— Evan Hurst (@EvanHurst) July 26, 2012
The entry at Truth Wins Out has been taken down, as perhaps not defending the left's hateful fascist attacks on Chick-fil-A. But Hatesac3 wants it anyways, to fuel his deranged Internet predations, no doubt. After Hurst basically blew off Hatesac3 as a nuisance, our infamous progressive stalker started berating the dude:
@evanhurst What became of this honest post about the Boston and Chicago elected officials bad response to chickfila?#disappeardapointed
— J. Casper (@repsac3) July 28, 2012
@evanhurst Would love a copy, thanks. Reader commentary below--both 4 & against--was good, too. Pulling it was BAD, imo. Tell the bosses.
— J. Casper (@repsac3) July 29, 2012
@evanhurst Just occurred to me you may need an e-mail address to pass along the Chickfila article: repsac3blogs@gmail.com Thanks again...
— J. Casper (@repsac3) July 29, 2012
@evanhurst It's been over 24 hours, so I wanted to be sure you saw the response tweet: Yes, I'd love a copy. repsac3blogs@gmail.com
— J. Casper (@repsac3) July 30, 2012
@evanhurst So... should I assume you've changed your mind about sending me a copy of the CfA post, or have you just been busy?
— J. Casper (@repsac3) August 1, 2012
@evanhurst Still hoping you'll send me that ChickfilA article, if you're not too busy... You did offer... repsac3blogs@gmail.com
— J. Casper (@repsac3) August 2, 2012
@evanhurst I'm guessing you changed your mind about sending me a copy of the disappeared CfA post. Little disappointed about that, but --->
— J. Casper (@repsac3) August 3, 2012
@evanhurst ---> VERY disappointed that you refused to answer my tweets for the last 3-4 days and just say so. Dig your writing, still, but..
— J. Casper (@repsac3) August 3, 2012
@evanhurst then consider my bad thoughts about you (expressed and otherwise) rescinded. Look forward to reading it again...
— J. Casper (@repsac3) August 4, 2012
@evanhurst Just a reminder: Chick-fil-A post to repsac3blogs@gmail.com Thank you.
— J. Casper (@repsac3) August 6, 2012
Mr. Hurst has not dropped out of sight, as indicated by his Twitter feed. So perhaps he's just trying to be polite in the hopes that deranged obsessive Hatesac3 will just let it got. Mr. Hurst explained that he'd just been swamped, and as it's a fresh week, maybe he'll still forward that piece to the despicable Hatesac3. Seriously, after that much harassment, I'd just send it to the f-king criminal Hatesac3 just to get him off my back. Either that, or I'd notify the authorities. Look at that deranged Internet harassment. For crying out loud, Hatesac3, get a life motherf-ker!
See: "Intent to Annoy and the Fascist Hate-Blogging Campaign of Walter James Casper III."
Previously: "Repsac3, Hate-Addled Internet Predator, Screams 'Liar' at Virtually Entire World on Politicization of Colorado Shooting." Plus, "When Even Sick Left-Wing Sites Like 'Wonkette' Want Brian Ross Fired, Despicable Hate-Blogger Repsac3 Attacks Michelle Malkin as 'Whiney Wingnut Victim'."
Extra: "Repsac3, Apologist for Homosexual Criminals, Remorselessly Defends Left's Hateful Intimidation and Vandalism on 'National Kiss-In Day'."
Case File: Check the special search for "Repsac3 OR Walter James Capser III" at Google.
Wade Michael Page Identified as Suspect in Sikh Temple Massacre
The guy was a freak. If this guy got in my face I would have kicked his ass, as I would if a neo-commie terrorist was hassling me.
Michelle has this, "Sikh temple shooting: Details on gunman emerge; donation drive for victims launched":
More at Wizbang, "Sikh Temple Investigated As Domestic Terrorism, Ft. Hood Shooting Is Still Just “Work Place Violence”."
Yeah, that's what I said:
The Other McCain reports as well, "PRESS CONFERENCE: ‘Heroic Actions’ of Police Saved Lives in Oak Creek Shooting UPDATE: Shooter Reportedly Played in Hate-Metal Rock Band ‘End Apathy’."
Check Memeorandum for more. And from My Pet Jawa, "Shooting At Sikh Temple (Updated/Bumped Killer Identified as Wade Michael Page)."
And remember, conservatives repudiate people like this, on the extreme right-wing fringe. Progressives, on the other hand, embrace their fringe extremists.
I expect Rachel Maddow to launch a new series tying the suspect's purported hate-group affiliations to the GOP. Someone like that does not speak for conservatives. All Americans should be condemning this violence. It's too bad that the leftists jumped immediately to destroy their political opponents before the facts were in, and it's especially awful now, considering how unrepresentative is the suspect to any mainstream organizations on the right.
PREVIOUSLY:
* "At Least 7 Dead in Sikh Temple Shooting in Wisconsin."
* "Progressives Call for Gun Control Before Facts Come Out in Wisconsin Temple Shooting."
* "Labor Historian Erik Loomis Attacks Governor Scott Walker on 'Bargaining Rights' Following Sikh Temple Massacre."
* "ABC News Claims Slain Suspect in Wisconsin Massacre Was 'Skinhead' or 'White Supremacist'."
* "CNN's Eric Marrapodi: Sikhs Often 'Misinterpreted as Followers of Islam'."
Michelle has this, "Sikh temple shooting: Details on gunman emerge; donation drive for victims launched":
I’ll leave the vulgar politicization of this evil massacre to others. The usual suspects are in full-blown Blame Righty Syndrome mode. They are as ghoulish and galling as the disgusting Westboro publicity hounds.And right on cue, No More Mr. Nice Blog smears conservatives for the actions of a purported neo-Nazi, from the comments:
Unfortunately, a la McVeigh at al., the MSM won't for the most part draw the connection between this killer on the one hand, and the whole hate-thy-political/cultural/religious/racial-enemy toxicity that has permeated the Right's rhetoric for decades, on the other hand. I personally think the connection is indisputable and glaringly obvious, but so what?That is disgusting.
More at Wizbang, "Sikh Temple Investigated As Domestic Terrorism, Ft. Hood Shooting Is Still Just “Work Place Violence”."
Yeah, that's what I said:
Neat how#WI shooting called "domestic terrorism" so soon. After Ft. Hood we were told by DHS that it wasn't terrorism just "isolated" case.
— Donald Douglas (@AmPowerBlog) August 6, 2012
The Other McCain reports as well, "PRESS CONFERENCE: ‘Heroic Actions’ of Police Saved Lives in Oak Creek Shooting UPDATE: Shooter Reportedly Played in Hate-Metal Rock Band ‘End Apathy’."
Check Memeorandum for more. And from My Pet Jawa, "Shooting At Sikh Temple (Updated/Bumped Killer Identified as Wade Michael Page)."
And remember, conservatives repudiate people like this, on the extreme right-wing fringe. Progressives, on the other hand, embrace their fringe extremists.
I expect Rachel Maddow to launch a new series tying the suspect's purported hate-group affiliations to the GOP. Someone like that does not speak for conservatives. All Americans should be condemning this violence. It's too bad that the leftists jumped immediately to destroy their political opponents before the facts were in, and it's especially awful now, considering how unrepresentative is the suspect to any mainstream organizations on the right.
PREVIOUSLY:
* "At Least 7 Dead in Sikh Temple Shooting in Wisconsin."
* "Progressives Call for Gun Control Before Facts Come Out in Wisconsin Temple Shooting."
* "Labor Historian Erik Loomis Attacks Governor Scott Walker on 'Bargaining Rights' Following Sikh Temple Massacre."
* "ABC News Claims Slain Suspect in Wisconsin Massacre Was 'Skinhead' or 'White Supremacist'."
* "CNN's Eric Marrapodi: Sikhs Often 'Misinterpreted as Followers of Islam'."
British Patriotism Explodes at London Olympic Games
This was at the Los Angeles Times on Friday, "London Olympics: British patriotism blossoms amid the Games."
And that day Britain's Mo Farah won the gold medal in the men's 10,000m --- and the entire stadium was on rocket boots. See Telegraph UK, "Mo Farah makes history as first British man to take gold in Olympic 10000m." It was a great sporting moment. And I loved when American Galen Rupp gave Farah a big hug (more here on that).
And here's Martin Samuel at the Daily Mail, "Thank you, sport... for lifting our spirits even in the toughest of times."
Now Usain Bolt is Jamaican, but you do get that explosive vibe on the cover of this morning's Dail Mail. And here's a report, "Lightning Bolt strikes gold: Usain storms to 100m glory and he answers his critics with resounding victory in 9.63 seconds." And Jamaica's a former colony of Britain --- and the island nation remains in the Commonwealth --- so there's some natural affinity. See the New York Times, "Usain Bolt of Jamaica Overjoys Britain With 100-Meter Gold."
EXTRA: I can agree with this: "Two BILLION people watch Usain Bolt's win... but none of them in America: Sports fans outraged as NBC fails to show 100m final live on TV."
And that day Britain's Mo Farah won the gold medal in the men's 10,000m --- and the entire stadium was on rocket boots. See Telegraph UK, "Mo Farah makes history as first British man to take gold in Olympic 10000m." It was a great sporting moment. And I loved when American Galen Rupp gave Farah a big hug (more here on that).
And here's Martin Samuel at the Daily Mail, "Thank you, sport... for lifting our spirits even in the toughest of times."
Now Usain Bolt is Jamaican, but you do get that explosive vibe on the cover of this morning's Dail Mail. And here's a report, "Lightning Bolt strikes gold: Usain storms to 100m glory and he answers his critics with resounding victory in 9.63 seconds." And Jamaica's a former colony of Britain --- and the island nation remains in the Commonwealth --- so there's some natural affinity. See the New York Times, "Usain Bolt of Jamaica Overjoys Britain With 100-Meter Gold."
It Sucks for Children of Same-Sex Couples
Actually, it might not completely suck, but if it's important that a child grow up secure and healthy with both male and female adult role-models, then same-sex parenting is clearly inferior.
From Robert Oscar Lopez, "Growing Up With Two Moms: The Untold Children’s View" (via Darleen Click):
And from Darleen:
Remember, "Progressives Attack Professor Mark Regnerus Over Same-Sex Parenting Research." And, "Why Are Progressives So Intolerant?"
From Robert Oscar Lopez, "Growing Up With Two Moms: The Untold Children’s View" (via Darleen Click):
Between 1973 and 1990, when my beloved mother passed away, she and her female romantic partner raised me. They had separate houses but spent nearly all their weekends together, with me, in a trailer tucked discreetly in an RV park 50 minutes away from the town where we lived. As the youngest of my mother’s biological children, I was the only child who experienced childhood without my father being around.Continue reading.
After my mother’s partner’s children had left for college, she moved into our house in town. I lived with both of them for the brief time before my mother died at the age of 53. I was 19. In other words, I was the only child who experienced life under “gay parenting” as that term is understood today.
Quite simply, growing up with gay parents was very difficult, and not because of prejudice from neighbors. People in our community didn’t really know what was going on in the house. To most outside observers, I was a well-raised, high-achieving child, finishing high school with straight A’s.
Inside, however, I was confused. When your home life is so drastically different from everyone around you, in a fundamental way striking at basic physical relations, you grow up weird. I have no mental health disorders or biological conditions. I just grew up in a house so unusual that I was destined to exist as a social outcast.
My peers learned all the unwritten rules of decorum and body language in their homes; they understood what was appropriate to say in certain settings and what wasn’t; they learned both traditionally masculine and traditionally feminine social mechanisms.
Even if my peers’ parents were divorced, and many of them were, they still grew up seeing male and female social models. They learned, typically, how to be bold and unflinching from male figures and how to write thank-you cards and be sensitive from female figures. These are stereotypes, of course, but stereotypes come in handy when you inevitably leave the safety of your lesbian mom’s trailer and have to work and survive in a world where everybody thinks in stereotypical terms, even gays.
I had no male figure at all to follow, and my mother and her partner were both unlike traditional fathers or traditional mothers. As a result, I had very few recognizable social cues to offer potential male or female friends, since I was neither confident nor sensitive to others. Thus I befriended people rarely and alienated others easily. Gay people who grew up in straight parents’ households may have struggled with their sexual orientation; but when it came to the vast social universe of adaptations not dealing with sexuality—how to act, how to speak, how to behave—they had the advantage of learning at home. Many gays don’t realize what a blessing it was to be reared in a traditional home.
And from Darleen:
It is unfortunate that this man had been ill-served by his upbringing. I find myself discussing with same-sex marriage advocates about the issues of gender and how men and women are just not fungible. The advocates all fall back on that any differences between the sexes are “social constructs” nothing more. Even when I have brought up the fact that there have been widely different societies throughout history, but the male/female paradigm has remained constant (even if the numbers of partners within a marriage has not) … I actually got the jaw-dropping response that all that proved was “millennium of bigotry.”Well, you're not supposed to deviate from the accepted narrative.
Same-sex couples regardless of legal status, do commit and do have children. They will not do their off-spring any favors in buying into the myth that gender can be ignored.
Remember, "Progressives Attack Professor Mark Regnerus Over Same-Sex Parenting Research." And, "Why Are Progressives So Intolerant?"
Japan Observes 67th Anniversary of Hiroshima Attack
At London's Daily Mail, "Prayers for peace: Japanese light hundreds of lanterns to mark the 67th anniversary of those killed in Hiroshima bombings."
I post on this every year and it's always the same thing: the U.S. was horrible for dropping the bomb, etc., etc., and so forth.
But the U.S. decision to drop the bomb shortened the war and saved lives. Sixty-seven years later the world community lives under an American peace that allows such protests. When the U.S. pulls back from international leadership --- whenever that day arrives, this century or beyond --- there won't be any such guarantees of peace and prosperity, no automatic safety of the U.S.-led international order.
More at Telegraph UK, "Harry Truman's grandson arrives in Japan for Hiroshima visit."
I post on this every year and it's always the same thing: the U.S. was horrible for dropping the bomb, etc., etc., and so forth.
But the U.S. decision to drop the bomb shortened the war and saved lives. Sixty-seven years later the world community lives under an American peace that allows such protests. When the U.S. pulls back from international leadership --- whenever that day arrives, this century or beyond --- there won't be any such guarantees of peace and prosperity, no automatic safety of the U.S.-led international order.
More at Telegraph UK, "Harry Truman's grandson arrives in Japan for Hiroshima visit."
Dan Richter, John Lennon and Yoko Ono's Butler, Describes Last Days of The Beatles
At London's Daily Mail, "What John and Yoko's butler saw: A surreal account of the Lennons' live-in assistant during the last dark days of The Beatles":
The dude's homepage is here.
I remember the day I was at Harrods, ordering white carpet for John and Yoko. It was to be specially made from natural unbleached wool on extra large looms in China. Another day, on a trip to town, I found white marble Empire mantelpieces.Continue reading.
One of my favourite finds was a Queen Anne Chinoiserie desk for John. In their bathroom, they wanted a gigantic circular tub. We considered willow-pattern antique toilets, but settled on modern.
John wanted a bed like a turntable for Tittenhurst, their Berkshire mansion, so we ordered a circular one. An army of people was established to accomplish all these and 1,000 other tasks.
I lived with Yoko and Lennon for four years; an insider witnessing their love affair and the break-up of The Beatles. I can still see the vivid cast that surrounded them: the stars, charlatans, groupies, politicians, sycophants, lawyers and hippies.
It was a time of absolute freedom, a time when everything changed. The world was turning on, tuning in and dropping out, and all to the beat of rock ’n’ roll....
I had an ongoing problem with heroin, needing it daily, but now I had to find it for John and Yoko too. I took the train into London every day to look for work and buy heroin for myself and for them.
Meanwhile, they were moving into Tittenhurst Park, their new 85-acre estate in Ascot with its mansion framed by lawns, stately trees and great walls of rhododendrons, camellias and azaleas.
By late 1969, John and Yoko spent most of their time in bed. They slept, ate, had sex, worked the phones, read the post, planned their next outing, and whatever else that made up their day. I would drop by to discuss what was going on or whatever needed their attention.
John was invariably sitting cross-legged on the bed strumming his acoustic guitar while Yoko took the lead in discussions. You always felt that Yoko and John had discussed things before you arrived and decided on what Yoko would say, while John appeared to be lost in his guitar...
The dude's homepage is here.
Syrian Warplanes Pound Aleppo
The Australian reports:
RELATED: At LAT, "Professed Syrian rebel says Iranian hostages are militiamen."
SYRIAN regime warplanes have pounded rebel positions in second city Aleppo ahead of a threatened ground assault by more than 20,000 troops assembled around the commercial capital.
Iran appealed for help from governments with ties to the Syrian opposition in securing the release of 48 of its nationals seized from a bus in Damascus, as an Arabic news channel aired footage it said was of the Iranians in the hands of rebel captors who charged that their hostages were Revolutionary Guards.More at Telegraph UK, "Syria: battle lines drawn in Aleppo with 'main course' still to come."
A senior security official said Syria's army had completed its deployment of reinforcements to Aleppo, ready for a decisive showdown.
"The war is likely to be long, because there will have to be street battles in order to get rid of the terrorists," the source told AFP, declining to be named.
"All the reinforcements have arrived and they are surrounding the city," he said. "The army is ready to launch its offensive, but is awaiting orders."
RELATED: At LAT, "Professed Syrian rebel says Iranian hostages are militiamen."
Gabby Douglas' Mom Filed for Bankruptcy
Gabby's lucrative endorsements are going to bail her mom out. At the New York Post, "Gabby’s gold in nick of time for her broke mom":
I'm happy for both Douglas and Franklin. And I hope they continue to have great success.
Gabby Douglas’ Olympic medal could be a golden opportunity for her broke mother. The gold-medal gymnast’s doting mom, Natalie Hawkins, has been struggling to make ends meet — and twice filed for bankruptcy — while her phenom daughter chased her Olympic dreams, according to federal court records.Okay, now check ABC News, "Missy Franklin Wants to Swim in College, Put Off Endorsement Fortunes." Franklin even turned down $100 thousand in Olympic prizewinnings to remain eligible for NCAA competition. And she personally dedicated her wins to the families of the Aurora shooting victims.
But since Gabby won the Olympics’ coveted individual all-around gymnastics competition, she’s become the darling of the United States and world — and is worth a potential $100 million-plus in endorsement deals.
Hawkins, a single mother with three other children, had been just 24 hours from foreclosure on the family’s Virginia Beach home in January when she sought protection under Chapter 13 bankruptcy, public records show.
She had a measly $500 in the bank and was $80,000 in debt when she filed the papers. The bulk of the debt was from a $150,000 mortgage on the townhouse where Gabby and her three older siblings lived for more than a decade.
Hawkins also owes $20,000 to trainers at Excalibur, a well-regarded Virginia gym whose staff was working with Gabby, according to its owners — although the mom disputes incurring the debt, the Virginia Pilot newspaper said.
But now that her 4-foot-11 golden-girl daughter has become the first African-American to grab the top medal, Hawkins could be on easy street.
Her 16-year-old has already landed on a Kellogg’s Corn Flakes box and will get $100,000 for appearing in the upcoming Kellogg’s Tour of Champs.
And Golden Gabby still has two more shots at medals — on the uneven bars today and the balance beam tomorrow.
I'm happy for both Douglas and Franklin. And I hope they continue to have great success.
Andy Murray Wins Men's Tennis Gold at Olympics
It was a rematch of last month's epic match at Wimbledon. Murray came through on top.
See the Wall Street Journal, "Andy Murray's Golden Breakthrough":
See the Wall Street Journal, "Andy Murray's Golden Breakthrough":
WIMBLEDON, England—Andy Murray has finally broken through, and it couldn't be sweeter.See also London's Daily Mail, "You're my hero and you deserve a hug! Schoolboy's embrace with Olympic champion Andy Murray captures buoyant mood of the nation."
On a weekend in which athletes from Great Britain delivered the most scintillating highlights of these games, the 25-year-old Scot provided yet another home country Olympic thrill, upsetting top seed and world No. 1 Roger Federer in a dominant straight set performance, 6-2, 6-1, 6-4 to capture a gold medal in men's singles.
The victory is also a personal milestone for Murray, a gifted but often vexing player who has struggled to crack through in a tennis era dominated by greats like Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. Though the Olympics occur only once every four years, Murray's win here carries great weight, as it came against his top competition and before a wild home crowd at the sport's most treasured cathedral, Wimbledon.
It was here, one month ago, that Murray had lost an agonizing four-set match to Federer, breaking down in the postgame trophy ceremony and tearfully assuring the crowd he was "getting closer." his time, Murray closed, and the only emotion was rapture. Murray dominated Federer from the start, breaking his serve twice in the first set, and coming close to shutting him out in the second. A capacity crowd at Centre Court applauded wildly at every one of Murray's winners, waving British flags and shouting repeated encouragement. At times the atmosphere resembled a soccer stadium more than a genteel tennis match.
When it was over, Murray looked almost stunned.
Ethiopian Hottie Tiki Gelana Wins London Olympics Marathon
This lady was looking hot. Great stride and fully confident. Just awesome.
At the Los Angeles Times, "Ethiopia's Tiki Gelana sets women's Olympic marathon record."
At the Los Angeles Times, "Ethiopia's Tiki Gelana sets women's Olympic marathon record."
CNN's Eric Marrapodi: Sikhs Often 'Misinterpreted as Followers of Islam'
BuzzFeed picked up on this, "CNN: Sikhs "Unfairly" Mistaken For Muslims." (Via Memeorandum.)
PREVIOUSLY:
* "At Least 7 Dead in Sikh Temple Shooting in Wisconsin."
* "Progressives Call for Gun Control Before Facts Come Out in Wisconsin Temple Shooting."
* "Labor Historian Erik Loomis Attacks Governor Scott Walker on 'Bargaining Rights' Following Sikh Temple Massacre."
PREVIOUSLY:
* "At Least 7 Dead in Sikh Temple Shooting in Wisconsin."
* "Progressives Call for Gun Control Before Facts Come Out in Wisconsin Temple Shooting."
* "Labor Historian Erik Loomis Attacks Governor Scott Walker on 'Bargaining Rights' Following Sikh Temple Massacre."
Sunday, August 5, 2012
ABC News Claims Slain Suspect in Wisconsin Massacre Was 'Skinhead' or 'White Supremacist'
Here's the tweet:
And at ABC News, "7 Dead at Sikh Temple in Oak Creek, Wis.; Officials Believe 'White Supremacist' Behind 'Domestic Terrorism'":
Here's what the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinal is reporting, "FBI: Motive in Oak Creek Sikh Temple shooting unclear":
Though police have not given any details on the identity or motive of the shooter, or released the identities of the victims, sources have told ABC News the shootings are the work of a "white supremacist" or "skinhead."
No word if that's Brian Ross doing the crack Internet research behind the scenes.
Here's what the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinal is reporting, "FBI: Motive in Oak Creek Sikh Temple shooting unclear":
And a breaking report from Robert Stacy McCain, "Patch.com Reporter Jessica McBride Gets Scoop on Sikh Temple Shooting Suspect - UPDATE: More Details Emerge." Check Robert's links. That Patch report makes no reference to the suspect being a "white supremacist."
And more at the Los Angeles Times, "Gunman's tattoos lead officials to deem Sikh shooting terrorism."
More details later. We'll see if the "white supremacist" angle plays out. And for ABC's sake, let's hope so. We wouldn't want people jumping to conclusions, or anything, especially after the media's irresponsible reporting out of Aurora a couple of weeks ago.
I tweeted earlier, in any case:
Updates forthcoming...
More a Milwaukee JS, "Suspect described as Army vet in his 40s":
'Skinhead' Believed Behind Sikh Massacre in Wis. abcn.ws/Q0FWoB
— ABC News (@ABC) August 6, 2012
And at ABC News, "7 Dead at Sikh Temple in Oak Creek, Wis.; Officials Believe 'White Supremacist' Behind 'Domestic Terrorism'":
Though police have not given any details on the identity or motive of the shooter, or released the identities of the victims, sources have told ABC News the shootings are the work of a "white supremacist" or "skinhead."No word if that's Brian Ross doing the crack Internet research behind the scenes.
Here's what the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinal is reporting, "FBI: Motive in Oak Creek Sikh Temple shooting unclear":
Though police have not given any details on the identity or motive of the shooter, or released the identities of the victims, sources have told ABC News the shootings are the work of a "white supremacist" or "skinhead."
No word if that's Brian Ross doing the crack Internet research behind the scenes.
Here's what the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinal is reporting, "FBI: Motive in Oak Creek Sikh Temple shooting unclear":
The shooting at the Sikh Temple in Oak Creek that left seven people dead, including the shooter, is being looked at as a possible domestic terrorism incident but no motive has been determined, FBI officials said Sunday night.More details at the article.
The agency also confirmed that they are investigating a home in Cudahy - presumably that of the shooter - in relation to the incident.
U.S. Attorney James Santelle, who is personally reviewing the matter, said it is not clear if it was domestic terrorism....
A source familiar with the investigation said the shooter was a white male in his 40s who had been discharged from the Army. The source said one firearm was recovered as well as multiple magazines....
Shortly after 5 p.m., a team of law enforcement officers, including from the Milwaukee County Sheriff's Department and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, surrounded a duplex in Cudahy.
Authorities cordoned off the 3700 block of E. Holmes Ave., just south of downtown Cudahy, where they have surrounded a duplex. A large contingent of law enforcement and fire department vehicles are in the vicinity. The neighborhood was being evacuated.
Kurt Weins said he rented the upper flat of the duplex authorities were searching to a single man in his 40s about month ago. Weins lives across the street from the duplex.
Weins said he had just been interviewed by law enforcement authorities and said he was uncomfortable providing much detail. However, he said, he was surprised by the attention his tenant has attracted.
"I had him checked out and he definitely checked out," Weins said. "The cops told me they don't want me to say nothing right now."
And a breaking report from Robert Stacy McCain, "Patch.com Reporter Jessica McBride Gets Scoop on Sikh Temple Shooting Suspect - UPDATE: More Details Emerge." Check Robert's links. That Patch report makes no reference to the suspect being a "white supremacist."
And more at the Los Angeles Times, "Gunman's tattoos lead officials to deem Sikh shooting terrorism."
More details later. We'll see if the "white supremacist" angle plays out. And for ABC's sake, let's hope so. We wouldn't want people jumping to conclusions, or anything, especially after the media's irresponsible reporting out of Aurora a couple of weeks ago.
I tweeted earlier, in any case:
Neat how#WI shooting called "domestic terrorism" so soon. After Ft. Hood we were told by DHS that it wasn't terrorism just "isolated" case.
— Donald Douglas (@AmPowerBlog) August 6, 2012
Updates forthcoming...
More a Milwaukee JS, "Suspect described as Army vet in his 40s":
Authorities would not divulge the identity of the suspect in the Sikh temple shootings, and did not describe his motive other than to label his actions as "domestic terrorism."
A few details did emerge about the man whose Cudahy duplex apartment was searched by police hours after the shooting. He was described as white, single, in his 40s and an Army veteran.
That description came in part from Kurt Weins, who lives in the 3700 block of E. Holmes Ave. in Cudahy. He said he rented the property to a man he believed to be from Chicago with no record of violence in Wisconsin.
Authorities did not tell Weins whether his tenant was the shooting suspect, but the description matches that of the man that sources said was the shooter.
ABC News, citing anonymous sources, said it was told the shootings were the work of a "white supremacist" or "skinhead."
The Journal Sentinel could not confirm that account.
Homosexual Fascists
At Angry White Dude, "HOMOSEXUAL RIGHTS ADVOCATES ARE RUDE, CRUDE, IN-YOUR-FACE BRUTES!":
PREVIOUSLY: "Obama's Gay Nightmare: Still Waiting for Barry's Backside Boogie Pics!"
BONUS: "Repsac3, Apologist for Homosexual Criminals, Remorselessly Defends Left's Hateful Intimidation and Vandalism on 'National Kiss-In Day'."
Homofascists are their own worst enemy. The buycott of Chick fil A by millions of decent Americans was a huge success. The homosexual kiss-in protest was a total failure. The American people are rising up against the bullying tactics of this small, loud groups of perverts. Why? No, it’s not hate and it’s not fear. IT’S BECAUSE NORMAL PEOPLE DON’T ACT LIKE THAT!Speaking of "homofascists," via The Looking Spoon:
PREVIOUSLY: "Obama's Gay Nightmare: Still Waiting for Barry's Backside Boogie Pics!"
BONUS: "Repsac3, Apologist for Homosexual Criminals, Remorselessly Defends Left's Hateful Intimidation and Vandalism on 'National Kiss-In Day'."
Labor Historian Erik Loomis Attacks Governor Scott Walker on 'Bargaining Rights' Following Sikh Temple Massacre
I guess he's still pretty sore about the recall election. But jeez, this is bottom-of-the-barrel:
You think people should just wait a bit before attacking political opponents? Give it some time. Let families gather their loved ones and let the police investigate the perpetrator. That's the decent thing to do.
But Erik Loomis isn't decent. A neo-communist historian, he blogs at the disgusting hate-site Lawyers, Guns and Money. Pretty typical of what goes on over there, actually. See: "Erik Loomis, University of Rhode Island History Professor, Calls for 'Decades-Long Fight to the Death' Against Conservatives."
PREVIOUSLY: "At Least 7 Dead in Sikh Temple Shooting in Wisconsin," and "Progressives Call for Gun Control Before Facts Come Out in Wisconsin Temple Shooting." Plus, updates at Memeorandum.
The cop shot by the Wisconsin terrorist had his collective bargaining rights attacked by Scott Walker. Channeling@mikeelk
— Erik Loomis (@ErikLoomis) August 5, 2012
You think people should just wait a bit before attacking political opponents? Give it some time. Let families gather their loved ones and let the police investigate the perpetrator. That's the decent thing to do.
But Erik Loomis isn't decent. A neo-communist historian, he blogs at the disgusting hate-site Lawyers, Guns and Money. Pretty typical of what goes on over there, actually. See: "Erik Loomis, University of Rhode Island History Professor, Calls for 'Decades-Long Fight to the Death' Against Conservatives."
PREVIOUSLY: "At Least 7 Dead in Sikh Temple Shooting in Wisconsin," and "Progressives Call for Gun Control Before Facts Come Out in Wisconsin Temple Shooting." Plus, updates at Memeorandum.
Progressives Call for Gun Control Before Facts Come Out in Wisconsin Temple Shooting
PREVIOUSLY: "At Least 7 Dead in Sikh Temple Shooting in Wisconsin."
And at Twitchy, "Horrible: Shooting at Sikh temple in Oak Creek, Wis., hostage situation reported; Update: SWAT team preparing to go inside; Update: Some news outlets report several dead, many injured; Update: 7 dead, including shooter."
Pus,, "Left blames Wisconsin temple shooting on Michelle Bachmann and ‘racists like her’."
We'll be seeing more progressive idiocy.
Expect updates...
Added: At the New York Times, "At Least 7 Dead in Shooting at Sikh Temple in Wisconsin." Plus, at Memeorandum.
3:09pm Pacific: Here's the Twitter search for "Wisconsin Sikh."
5:36pm Pacific: More at Lonely Conservative, "Sikh Temple Shooting Already Being Blamed on Republicans."
And at Twitchy, "Horrible: Shooting at Sikh temple in Oak Creek, Wis., hostage situation reported; Update: SWAT team preparing to go inside; Update: Some news outlets report several dead, many injured; Update: 7 dead, including shooter."
Pus,, "Left blames Wisconsin temple shooting on Michelle Bachmann and ‘racists like her’."
NRA staffers will have to come in on Sunday to issue statements about why guns had nothing to do with Sikh temple shootings.
— Roger Ebert (@ebertchicago) August 5, 2012
CNN saying its not about gun control but mental health. In reality shooting was caused by many factors, but all we know is he got a gun
— Mike Elk (@MikeElk) August 5, 2012
Now are we going to get actual human beings arguing that people inside the Sikh temple should have been armed?
— LOLGOP (@LOLGOP) August 5, 2012
Heartbroken by the Sikh Temple shooting in Wisconsin. When will this mindless violence stop? Take away people's ability to buy guns. Please.
— Kunal Nayyar (@kunalnayyar) August 5, 2012
Senseless hateful shooting at Sikh temple in Wisconsin. Pray for the victims and their families. And for more rigorous gun laws. Pls RT!
— Eric Benet (@ebenet) August 5, 2012
what is it going to take for us to fix our gun laws? “@cnn: Gunman, six others dead at Wisconsin Sikh temple. on.cnn.com/R2PDHc”
— Michael Schneider (@msfd) August 5, 2012
Seven dead in a Sikh Temple in Wisconsin, bit.ly/OVB0q0 one of them a 10 year old kid. Thank you NRA for your efforts...
— Progressive Buzz (@progBuzz) August 5, 2012
We'll be seeing more progressive idiocy.
Expect updates...
Added: At the New York Times, "At Least 7 Dead in Shooting at Sikh Temple in Wisconsin." Plus, at Memeorandum.
3:09pm Pacific: Here's the Twitter search for "Wisconsin Sikh."
5:36pm Pacific: More at Lonely Conservative, "Sikh Temple Shooting Already Being Blamed on Republicans."
It's Legal to Walk Around Topless in New York
That is, it's legal to go around topless if you're a woman. Elsewhere, not so much, which makes this a civil rights issue.
Glenn Reynolds has more, "FEMINISM: A Woman’s Topless Fight For Equality."
Video here: "Moira Johnston: Topless in NYC."
Glenn Reynolds has more, "FEMINISM: A Woman’s Topless Fight For Equality."
Video here: "Moira Johnston: Topless in NYC."
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